Heuchera plant named ‘Orange Delight’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by peach and orange leaf color in summer, khaki-green leaves in fall, red leaves in winter, large leaves with slightly ruffled and rounded lobes, yellow flowers on upright flowering stems, good performance in sun or shade, a large, tall mounding habit with an excellent crown count, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Orange Delight’.

Trademark designation: SIRENS' SONG™ ‘Orange Delight’

Cross reference to Heuchera ‘Dark Night’, applied for concurrently having application Ser. No. 16/501,733

Cross reference to Heuchera ‘Dark ‘N’ Bright’, applied for concurrently having application Ser. No. 16/501,734

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera given the cultivar name of ‘Orange Delight’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Orange Delight’ originated as a controlled cross using Heuchera ‘B228-1’, a proprietary, unpatented, unnamed seedling as the seed parent, and Heuchera ‘B226-2’, a proprietary, unpatented, unreleased seedling as the pollen parent. These parents are a result of breeding using Heuchera richardsonii with proprietary hybrid lines. Heuchera ‘Orange Delight’ was bred to be a hardy landscape plant for sun or shade.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera ‘B228-1’, the new cultivar has peach/orange colored leaves and no veil rather than shiny purple and plum colored leaves with a veil.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera ‘B226-2’, the new cultivar has peach/orange colored leaves rather than shiny green leaves.

Compared to Heuchera ‘TNHEUNEA’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,397, the new cultivar has khaki-green colored leaves in late summer and fall rather than red-orange.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. peach and orange leaf color in summer,     -   2. khaki-green leaves in fall,     -   3. red leaves in winter,     -   4. large leaves with slightly ruffled and rounded lobes,     -   5. yellow flowers on upright flowering stems,     -   6. performs well in sun or shade,     -   7. a large, tall mounding habit with an excellent crown count,         and     -   8. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture using growing tips). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows eight-month-old plants of Heuchera ‘Orange Delight’ growing in one-gallon pots in October in part shade in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a two-year-old plant of Heuchera ‘Orange Delight’ growing in the trial bed in partial shade in June in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows one-year-old plants of Heuchera ‘Orange Delight’ growing in the trial bed in full sun in February in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in mid-August of a seven-month-old specimen growing in a one-gallon pot outside in partial shade in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—Grows to 21 cm tall from top of foliage to ground, 41             cm wide.         -   Number of crowns.—About 7.         -   Habit.—Large, mounding.         -   Vigor.—Excellent. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate.         -   Number.—About 80.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9 cm long and 9 cm wide.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Lobing/division.—4 to 6 very shallow palmate lobes.         -   Margins.—Broadly crenate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Cordate, semi-overlapping.         -   Surface texture.—Glandular-puberulent on both sides.         -   Rugosity.—Slight.         -   Undulation.—Medium.         -   Glossiness.—Weak.         -   Petiole description.—Grows to 16 cm long and 3 mm wide,             glandular hairs; color closest to Greyed Orange 176B.         -   Leaf color.—Older leaves in late summer, topside closest to             Green 137B tinted Greyed Brown 199A with veins Grey Brown             199C, bottom side between Greyed Red 182A and Greyed Red             182B with veins closest to Greyed Red 182C; newer leaves in             late summer, topside closest to Greyed Purple 183D, veins             Greyed Red 181B, bottom side closest to Greyed Purple 185B,             veins closest to Greyed Purple 185C; new leaves in summer,             topside closest to Red 47A blending to Red 39C, Orange Red             34C, and Yellow Orange 22A, bottom side closest to Red 47C,             Orange Red 34D, and Yellow Orange 22B; leaves in winter,             between Greyed Purple 187A and Greyed Red 178A, some leaves             tinted closest to Greyed Red 182A from sunburn, bottom side             closest to Red Purple 71A tinted Red Purple 70A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—Grows to 0.5 cm wide and 65 cm long.         -   Type.—Upright thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 110.         -   Flower density.—Medium to light.         -   Number of thyrse.—Up to 30.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 41 cm long and 3 mm wide at base with             glandular hairs; closest to Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Pedicel.—Grows to 2.5 mm long, with glandular hairs; Greyed             Red 178A.         -   Bloom period.—July to September in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3 mm wide and 5 mm long.         -   Description.—Glandular-puberulent, ovoid, down facing.         -   Color.—Between Green Yellow 1A and Yellow 4A and Greyed             Orange 164B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Attitude.—Side and down facing.         -   Size.—6 mm long and 4 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—5 petals, each 3 mm long and 1 mm wide,             spatulate, margins entire, tip acute, glandular-puberulent             on back side, glabrous inside, White NN155 on both sides.         -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 6 mm long and 4 mm wide; 5             lobes each 3 mm wide and 2 mm long, oblong in shape, back             side glandular-puberulent, glabrous inside, tip obtuse,             margin entire, new flowers; outside color Green Yellow 1A             and Yellow 4A tinted with Greyed Orange 164B on tip             measuring 2 mm and bottom measuring 2 mm, older flowers;             Green Yellow 1A and Yellow 4A heavily tinted Greyed Purple             183A.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 2 mm long, White             NN155, anthers 0.4 mm long.         -   Pollen.—Orange N25 B, moderate quantity.         -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 6 mm long and 2 mm wide,             ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, White NN155, style 4 mm long,             White NN155.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the             plant. -   Seed: None seen. -   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the     genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have     been found in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 